ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. can — to be able to
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a leader
  14. sharp — clever
  15. wound — an injury
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. season — in sport
  22. wound — an injury
  23. season — of the year
  24. branch — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com